So im finally up to date on Hunter x Hunter (2011), and while the series does not look like its anywhere close to an ending, I feel I’ve seen enough to give a fair review. As a remake of the 1999 original series, I knew it was going to be good and I was not disappointed. For the first 70ish episodes it followed the same arcs as the previous version (Hunter Examination arc and Greed Island Arc) and besides a few minor changes in character wordings and character expressions I’d say they were pretty much identical.

What completely caught me off-guard was that like its predecessor, I expected the show to come to a close at the end of the second arc. Instead of  doing so we see a third arc opening up! For those who have seen the original series if you are not the type to re-watch anime you are free to skip to episode 75 and simply think of it as a continuation…

There have been alot of mixed feelings around the internet saying that one version is superior to another and to be completely honest I do prefer the original version. Why? Simply because it had darker.. poorer quality animation. Now you may be saying WHUTTT??? You like poor quality animation???? Well its not that I like poor quality animation its just that the dark feel suited the anime better, I mean if you’re gonna be killing hundreds of people in an anime you can’t make the characters all bright and pretty can u? That’s just my personal preference but feel free to leave your own opinion in the comments below.

Now onto the main review….

Animation: As previously mentioned the animation was polished up quite a bit from the previous version, making fight scenes that were a bit blurry clearer, and the bland backgrounds more dynamic. It more or less uplifts the general feel of the show making it not quite eyecandy but still pretty darn good to look at.

Characters: This show has some of the most unique characters you’ll find in an anime. It allows a wide variety of personalities to mesh together without seeming corny or out of place. I mean, how often can a show have you looking forward to seeing a gay pedo get screentime *coughs* hisoka *coughs*….

Pacing/Effectiveness: On a scale where 0 is a snails pace and 10 is blazing fast… I’d have to give it a 7.5, I mean have you read the manga? This anime just flies through without any useless talking/scenery whatsoever! I guess that’s because the animators have ALOT of content to work with. Also, seeing as an episode count has not been released they have time to focus on making a good, effective anime and not just some half-assed show.

Overall id say that Hunter x Hunter 2011 is definitely worth watching  and deserves its rating from me of 8/10. Even if you’ve seen the original series, a complete re-watch wouldn’t hurt xD.  My thanks to the animators who decided to take an awesome show, remake it, and extend it. I look forward to seeing how the remainder of this brilliant anime plays out.